Always Me
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Tommy wonders why bad things keeping to him.
1. Always Me

ALWAYS ME

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Takes place in the first season, but before the episode "The Green Candle". Based on his question "Why me?" in the Evil Green Ranger mini-series. All familiar characters Haim Saban and Fox Kids.

Tommy Oliver looked at the lake and sighed. His mind drifted back and he thought about how Rita had kidnapped him and turned him into her evil Green Ranger. _Man, why me?_ he wondered. Why did this stuff keeping happening to **him**? He probably wouldn't have been so vulnerable to Rita's spell if it hadn't been for...**her**. Tommy's stomach knotted and he shuddered, thinking of Tressa, the woman he had stayed with before the Olivers had adopted him. He hadn't told anyone what she was, he had only mentioned the abuse she had put him through and the courts had taken him away.

"Tommy? Are you okay?" a voice asked. Surprised, he turned around to see Kimberly Hart.

"Hey, Kim," he greeted. Then, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...memories of what I did."

"Tommy, that wasn't your fault. You were under a spell," Kimberly reminded him.

"Yeah, but...if I hadn't been so vulnerable..." Tommy stopped when he realized what he was saying.

"Vulnerable? What are you talking about?" Kimberly wondered.

"No. Never mind," Tommy said quickly.

"Tommy, what is it?" Kimberly asked, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Kim, please don't push it," Tommy pleaded.

"All right," she agreed. Then, "Do you want to be alone?" He nodded. She left. Once she had left, he rolled up his right pant sleeve and stared at the long scar on his leg.

"Oh, man. Why **me**?" he wondered.


	2. Kidnapped

KIDNAPPED

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Second part of "Always Me". Once again, familiar characters belong to Haim Saban and Fox Kids. I only own Tressa.

Tommy Oliver drummed his fingers on his desk. He was so bored that he almost wished that Rita would send down a monster. Almost, but not quite. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned around in his seat.

"You okay?" Kimberly Hart asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Tommy responded. Then, quickly turned to face the teacher before she could press the issue. Finally, the bell rang. With a relieved sigh, Tommy gathered his things and headed out into the halls.

"Hey, Tommy! Wait up, bro!" a voice called. "Bro". Only Jason Scott or Zack Taylor called him that. However, Tommy knew it was Jason. The newest addition to the Power Rangers slowed his pace.

"Where you off to?" the leader of the Power Rangers asked.

"Nowhere special," Tommy replied with a shrug.

"We're all headed for the youth center. Come on," Jason invited.

"Okay, sure," Tommy agreed. The two headed back to the group where Kimberly, Zack, Trini Quan, and Billy Cranston were waiting.

"Hey," Kimberly greeted cheerfully. Tommy smiled at the petite and perky cheerleader.

"How you doin'?" Tommy asked.

"Fine," she replied. As they walked, the two began to talk about the latest homework assignment. Zack saw them deep in conversation and nudged Jason. The two chuckled. Finally, they were at Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar. The group sat down and ordered their customary drinks. Ernie went to the back to make the drinks.

"Hey, you okay, bro? You seemed kind of tense in class," Jason commented.

"Bored," Tommy answered with a shrug.

"I don't really like the quiet. It means Rita's up to something," Trini stated.

"We must keep constant vigilance against any aberrations or stratagems," Billy declared.

"Huh?" Tommy asked, looking to the others. Almost everyone looked as lost as him.

"He said we need to keep a look out for any monsters or schemes," Trini explained.

"Oh," everyone else chorused.

"Yo, Billy, no offense, but why can't you ever speak normally?" Zack questioned. Kimberly smacked him.

"I said 'no offense'!" Zack protested. Before she could reply, Ernie came back with their drinks.

"Here you go," he said.

"Thanks, Ernie," the kids chorused. They began to drink their smoothies. They were all unaware of the attractive young woman heading for Angel Grove.

"Soon Tommy, you'll be mine again," she promised. However, in the Command Center, the alarms had detected her presence and had begun to blare crazily.

"Ai-yi-yi! Trouble!" Alpha 5 yelped.

"Contact the Rangers at once, Alpha," Zordon instructed.

"Ai-yi-yi! Right away!" Alpha 5 yelped again. Hearing the six-tone beep, the Rangers looked around. Seeing that no one was within hearing distance, the leader of the team touched his communicator.

"Zordon, we read you," Jason said quietly.

"Rangers, my sensors are picking up a strange reading from a woman arriving in Angel Grove," Zordon reported.

"Zordon, what should we do?" Tommy wondered.

"For now, just be on your guard. I will contact you when I have further information," Zordon said.

"You got it, Zordon," Jason answered.

"Man, I wonder what's going on," said Tommy.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Kimberly. As soon as they had finished their drinks, they stood up, paid for them, and then left.

"Hey Trini, you wanna go to the mall?" Kimberly asked. "I hear that they have this really big sale in the shoe department," she continued.

"Yeah, sure," Trini agreed.

"Well, I've got a dance class to teach," Zack declared.

"And I have an experiment that I must get back to," Billy stated.

"How 'bout you, Tommy?" Jason wondered.

"I thought I'd explore Angel Grove some more," Tommy replied.

"Want a tour guide?" Jason offered.

"Yeah, sure," Tommy grinned. With that, everyone went their separate ways. Jason and Tommy had just started out when they felt a familiar tingling sensation.

"Whoa! We're teleporting!" Jason cried. They landed in a heap in some kind of a dark dimension. The boys grunted from the landing.

"This isn't one of Rita's places, so where are we?" Jason wondered. He looked around and was surprised to see furniture, which included a bed. Tommy, however, paled.

"No," he whispered.


	3. Back In The Nightmare

TRESSA

AUTHOR'S NOTE

No, of course I don't own them. If I did, Tommy never would've lost his powerscompletely.

Jason stared at Tommy, who hadn't spoken a word since his initial "No".

"Tommy, what's going on?" Jason wondered.

"Aw, man. Why couldn't Rita have just kidnapped us?" Tommy groaned.

"Are you saying you didn't miss me, Tommy?" a voice asked. The two boys watched as a young woman stepped into view. The Green Ranger felt the air rush out of his body.

"No," he whispered with a shake of his head.

"Tommy, what's going on?" the Red Ranger questioned.

"I was just hoping to get my boy back, but I see I have a new one," Tressa smirked. She reached out to Jason.

"No!" Tommy cried. The woman turned.

"Why Tommy. Are you volunteering?" she asked Tommy hesitated and his eyes locked on Jason, who looked completely confused. _I can't let it happen to him. He doesn't know. I can't let it happen to him_, was the Green Ranger's thought.

"Yes," Tommy said aloud.

"Then, come on," Tressa said, holding out her hand. With reluctance, he took her hand and she led him to the bed.


	4. Missing Friends

MISSING FRIENDS

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hmm. Okay...Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, Trini, Jason, Zordon, Alpha, Rita, and her minions. Yep, everyone who doesn't belong to me is accounted for. That leaves me with Tressa.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Alpha 5 had just realized that two members of their Ranger team were missing.

"Ai-yi-yi! Jason and Tommy are missing!" he exclaimed.

"Contact the Rangers immediately," Zordon instructed.

"Ai-yi-yi! Right away! Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!" the robot cried, pressing a console button. Kimberly and Trini had just come out of the shoe store when they heard the six-tone beep. The girls placed their boxes on the floor.

"We read you, Alpha. What's up?" Kimberly asked.

"Ai-yi-yi! Come to the Command Center immediately. We have an emergency," Alpha stated.

"On our way," Kimberly promised. "Trini, we clear?" she continued. Her best friend looked around.

"Yeah, we're clear," she stated. With that, the two girls disappeared in particles of pink and yellow. When they arrived at the Command Center, they saw that only Zack and Billy were there.

"Zordon, where are Jason and Tommy?" Kimberly asked worriedly.

"That is the emergency, Kimberly. The Red and Green Rangers have disappeared," Zordon replied.

"Tommy's missing? Where is he?" Kimberly queried.

"I am not sure," Zordon admitted.

"It's Rita, isn't it? She has them," Kimberly rambled.

"Don't be alarmed, Kimberly. We'll find them," Billy assured.

"Man, I hope so," Kimberly said in concern. Everyone looked to Zordon.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey, it's me again! I'm thinking of writing a Power fanfic series called Ranger Teams. I already have the stars, which are Jason-Kat (MMPR, inclues Trini, lots of TommyKim) and Tommy-Conner (PRDT). These are the guys that get a lot of the fighting action. I just need some regular guest stars, like friends or romantic interests, the once-in-a-while guest stars, you know, someone you don't like very much, but would like to see once in a while, like Veronica from "Stop the Hate", and villains. I also have a few questions.

1. Should I bring back the Green Ranger Powers or just make Tommy the White Ranger again?

2. Which Alpha should I have? 5 (Ai-yi-yi)? Or 6 (New York voice, yo, yo, yo)? And should I have Zordon or a Zordon-like mentor?

3. Should I create new villains or bring back some of the old ones? If I bring back back old villains, who? If I create new, do you have any ideas? (Please **don**'**t** mention villains you plan on using yourself).

4. For the teams, should I stick with the newer "Whoomph" communicator sounds (PRDT), or revert back to the familiar six-tone (MMPR)?

Oh, and please don't request anyone from _Power Rangers Lost Galaxy_, _Light Speed Rescue_, _Time Force_, _Wild Force_, or _Ninja Storm_. I didn't follow these installments, so I wouldn't be able to be true to their characters. Though it may take a while for this series to get off the ground, when it finally **does** appear, it will be a **very** suggestion-friendly series. I am trusting you all the use the "Power Ranger Code" by sharing my idea with you.


	5. The Rescue

THE RESCUE

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Rangers still ain't mine. But I own Tressa. Yay! Oh, and please send in ideas for my Ranger Team series. So far I've only gotten person's comment on it: bring back Goldar, make Tommy the White Ranger again, have Alpha 5, and use the six-tone beep. I'm running this thing kind of like a poll, so if I don't get any other inputs, I won't write the series. Oh, and thanks to Gothic Ranger Fan who gave me their input on Tommy's actions during ch 3. P.S. I took the line you wrote in the review. Hope that's okay.

Zack stared up at the plasma tube that contained the Rangers' mentor, Zordon.

"Zordon, do you think it's Rita?" he asked.

"It is possible, Zachary," Zordon allowed.

"Zordon, we have to save them. There's no telling **what** Rita could be doing to them," Kimberly stated in fear, moving up to the front.

"Ai-yi-yi! I've tried the scanners, but there's no trace of them!" Alpha reported.

"Zordon, what dimension could Rita possibly have that wouldn't show up on the scanners?" Kimberly queried.

"I am not certain, Kimberly," Zordon answered.

"Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha yelped. Meanwhile, back in their place of captivity, Jason watched as Tressa ran her fingers through Tommy's hair. The Red Ranger's stomach knotted and he clenched his fists in rage when he saw the fear on the face of his friend and new partner. _Why is Tommy letting her do this to him?_ he wondered. Finally, the woman pulled back. The Green Ranger let out a labored gasp. She smirked.

"We're done...for now," she stated.

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"I have a new boy I'd like to try out," she answered.

"No," he said. He couldn't let her get to Jason! Tressa frowned.

"Have you forgotten the rules, Tommy?" she scolded.

"Don't touch him, Tressa. I mean it," he insisted.

"Tommy, it's either him or you," she said.

"I'll do anything you want, just leave him alone," was his answer. She smirked, then resumed her actions. Jason's jaw dropped. _What the heck?_ he thought. Tommy had been given a chance to get her to stop! Why hadn't he taken it? _Man, that should be **me**. **I**'**m** the leader. **I**'**m** the one who should be going through that trash, not Tommy_, the leader of the Power Rangers continued silently. Tommy caught the frustration on his friend's face and forced himself to look away. He knew that this had to be killing Jason. To be the leader of a team and not being able to take the pain for a teammate. _But I'd never forgive myself if Jase had to go through this_, Tommy silently thought. Tressa kissed him and the Green Ranger forced himself to respond in turn. _Dang, I wish I was kissing Kimberly_, he thought. Kimberly. Just the thought of her brought images of the petite cheerleader rushing through his mind. Their first meeting, the way he had hurt her when he was evil, coming to her rescue after he had joined the Rangers, watching her, studying her...pressure on his shoulder snapped the boy back to reality.

"Pay attention," Tressa hissed.

"Sorry," Tommy whispered in fear. Back at the Command Center, Alpha had finally located the missing Rangers.

"Ai-yi-yi! I've got them!" Alpha exclaimed.

"Where are they?" Kimberly queried.

"In some type of dark dimension," Alpha answered.

"Rita?" Trini asked.

"No, it's not one of Rita's dimensions. That's why it took so long," the robot replied, shaking his head.

"So, where are they?" Zack wondered.

"Rangers, behold the viewing globe," Zordon instructed. The Rangers turned to the sphere.

"Who's that?" Billy wondered seeing an attractive woman.

"Never mind **that**. What's she doing to Tommy?" Kimberly snapped, seeing the female on top of the boy she was attracted to.

"You've gotten braver, Tommy. You used to plead in fear by now," the woman sneered.

"I will **never** beg for you again," was his response.

"Zordon, we have to get him out of there," Kimberly determined.

"Ai-yi-yi! This is no ordinary human! Sensors indicate that she holds tremendous power!" Alpha cried.

"Rangers, you must morph before you rescue your friends," Zordon told them.

"It's morphin' time!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"Mastodon!" Zack called.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly yelled.

"Triceratops!" Billy chimed in.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Trini finished. Then, they teleported in streams of particles.

"Good luck, Rangers. And may the Power protect you," Zordon intoned. Tressa smirked at Tommy. Though he talked bravely, she could feel him trembling.

"You're afraid," she sneered, tracing his cheekbone. "That's good." All at once, she felt something pierce her back. With a cry of pain, she toppled off the bed.

"Get away from him, you freak!" a female voice cried.

"Kimberly," Tommy whispered. He suddenly felt sicker than before. How much had she seen?

"You interrupted me," Tressa growled. "I **don**'**t** like being interrupted!" With this, energy crackled from her hand and aimed it straight at the Pink Ranger.

"No!" Tommy yelled. He tackled his tormentor, knocking her to the ground. The energy Tressa had summoned ended up on the floor, just barely missing Jason.

"Whoa! Watch it, bro!" he exclaimed, jumping back.

"What do you think you're doing Tommy?" Tressa snarled.

"I'm not your toy anymore. This ends **now**," Tommy growled. "It's morphin' time! Dragonzord!" he shouted. He was instantly covered by his Ranger costume. Tressa snarled again and thrust him back.

"Insolent brat. You dare defy me?" she asked. Again, she summoned electricity from her hand and got ready to fire. Seeing this, the Green Ranger brought his Dragon Dagger to the hole where his mouth was. Just as she struck, he played the familiar fanfare. The other Rangers watched as the energy ball was thrust back.

"NOOOOO!" Tressa shrieked. Moments later, she disappeared.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Good grief! I didn't think writing their rescue would take so long! Sorry about that, guys. Thanks for sticking with me. Oh, and more input about the Ranger Team series please.


	6. Comforted

COMFORTED

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Last chapter in "Always Me". As usual, the original characters don't belong to me. Of course, if Saban wants to sell me Jason, Kimberly, and Tommy, I'd gladly accept his offer. As would everyone else, I think. And to Gothic Ranger Fan, I am truly sorry that you had to go through what you did and while, I'm glad you feel that I made this story realistic, I apologize if it brought back any bad memories for you. That was not my intent. You and others like you are true survivors. May you be now and forever more blessed with nothing but happiness.

At Angel Grove Lake, Tommy blew out a breath and messed up his hair with his hands. Ever since destroying Tressa, he had become even more withdrawn. _Man, why did Kimberly have to come? I didn't want her to know that_, he thought unhappily.

"Tommy?" a small voice questioned. He turned around.

"Kim," the boy noted. "What are you doing here?" he wondered.

"I, um, I just wanted to see how you were holding up," Kimberly answered.

"I'm fine," Tommy replied.

"Tommy, you're not fine. How can you be fine? You just went through torture," Kimberly pointed. "I'm not going to say I understand what you're feeling, because I don't. I can't. I didn't happen to me. All I can do is offer my support," she continued.

"Kim, I---I didn't want you to know. I didn't want anybody to know," he said miserably.

"She really did a number on you, didn't she?" she asked. His throat constricted, and after a brief pause, he nodded.

"I just wanted to forget," he whispered hoarsely. Kimberly drew him into a hug and he buried his face in her shoulder. And they just stood there. Just the two of them.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Whew! I'm done! This was a heavier Power Ranger fic than I normally do. And I'm starting to think that my Ranger Team series was a bad idea since I only received one person's opinion on it. If you or someone you know is being sexually abused, call RAINN's national hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).


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